2021-22 REVIEW: Part 1 of "Championship team" - Baseball overcomes pitching adversity to win league title
When Gaston College coach Shohn Doty began building the school's first baseball team in 50 years, he sold incoming recruits on playing in one of the state's most historic facilities and pursuing a title.
To do that, Doty knew he needed talented players - specifically talented pitchers - to make it happen.
And while Doty had some concerns about his team's pitching depth before the season even began - and he suffered more pitching injuries as the season went on - there's little doubting one of the reasons the Rhinos finished the season with a 41-9 record, a Region 10 division title and a national ranking was its pitching staff.
"On paper, we looked pretty good, especially our every day lineup," Doty said. "We always knew pitching depth might be an issue. Just because there weren't near as many of those guys out there and available when we started.
"But the key was those guys found a way."
Complicating that situation was that projected ace Zach Zedalis was lost for the year after making four appearances - all wins - by late February. Zedalis and third baseman Chandler Riley on Nov. 10, 2021 became the program's first NCAA Division I signees when Zedalis signed with South Carolina and Riley with Campbell.
The staff was challenged even more when another projected weekend starter, Tyler Parks, wasn't able to pitch after five appearances (four starts).
Yet, in moves that were duplicated over and over throughout the season, those departures created opportunities that other players were eager to take advantage of.
December roster addition Gus Hughes made the most of his chance to replace Zedalis as No. 1 starter by finishing with an 8-1 overall record, 2.17 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 62 1-3 innings.
"Thank goodness Gus Hughes comes in," Doty said of the right-hander who threw the school's first no-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Wake Tech on March 26. "He really stepped up for us."
And J.D. Everett, Marlowe Iorio, Hunter Shew, Konni Durschlag, Christian Baker and David Sande came through with winning starts for the Rhinos as they were able to reach preseason goals of 40 overall wins and 30 league wins in addition to earning as high as a No. 2 national ranking.
"Those guys really worked their tails off and came up with some really impressive games out there," Doty said. "It was a challenge but somehow, someway the kids found a way to make it work."
The Rhinos won 10 of Everett's 12 starts, eight of Hughes' 10 starts, seven of Iorio's eight starts, all four of Parks' starts, three of Shew's four starts, two of Durschlag's four starts, all three of Zedalis' starts, both of Baker's two starts and both of Sande's two starts.
And Durschlag (five), Baker (three) and Shew (one) picked up saves as each of the team's starters had at least one relief appearance.
Everett finished with a 7-0 record, Baker 6-2, Iorio 5-0, Zedalis 4-0, Sande 3-0, Parks 3-0, Shew 3-2 and Durschlag 1-1.
At year's end, Hughes and Baker earned All-Region 10 honors, the Rhinos were ranked second in the region in ERA (4.31) and third in strikeouts (475).
"We came in wanting to win and wanting to compete," said Baker, who along with Hughes has committed to play at NCAA Division I High Point. "I hope that sets a standard for the next year and the next year and the next year."